I'm a Huddersfield fan who has recently moved to Maidenhead from that there London. Thrilled for both our teams to have made it to Wembley, but it does leave me with a slight travel issue! I was wondering if I could pick your brains about your recent experiences of train travel into London for your previous Wembley visits, specifically:

a) Am I being naive in thinking I'll simply be able to walk down to Maidenhead train station at say, 10am, and actually be able to fit on a London bound train without it being absolutely rammed?; and

b) What kind of reaction might I reasonably expect from those on-board if I rock up in my Town shirt? I'd love to think that there might be a handshake or two and a bit of pre-match banter, but not sure I could hand-on-heart say that that would be the experience of a Reading fan if they were travelling to the game from Huddersfield.

a) There should be plenty of seats, particularly as most of us from Reading will be getting the Reading to Paddington fast trains that won't stop at Maidenhead. There are trains from Maidenhead that stop only at Slough before heading on to Paddington, so check arrival times as well as departure as waiting a few minutes for the next one may get you to Paddington quicker.

b) Shouldn't be any trouble, at least not from anyone wearing a football shirt. If you win you might want to tone down the singing and partying on the journey back though!

I'm a Huddersfield fan who has recently moved to Maidenhead from that there London. Thrilled for both our teams to have made it to Wembley, but it does leave me with a slight travel issue! I was wondering if I could pick your brains about your recent experiences of train travel into London for your previous Wembley visits, specifically:

a) Am I being naive in thinking I'll simply be able to walk down to Maidenhead train station at say, 10am, and actually be able to fit on a London bound train without it being absolutely rammed?; and

b) What kind of reaction might I reasonably expect from those on-board if I rock up in my Town shirt? I'd love to think that there might be a handshake or two and a bit of pre-match banter, but not sure I could hand-on-heart say that that would be the experience of a Reading fan if they were travelling to the game from Huddersfield.

Thanks in advance for your help, and see you all at Wembley.

You'll be grand. Your other option would be to go from Wycombe, direct to Wembley.

You will be in a lot of trouble. Maidenhead is the town where the Scorpions (hardcore Reading FC hooligans firm) HQ is located, just outside PizzaGoGo on King Street. They will most likely patrol outside Maidenhead train station on the day, trying to catch some Huddersfield fans and take their Wembley pocket money.

I'm a Huddersfield fan who has recently moved to Maidenhead from that there London. Thrilled for both our teams to have made it to Wembley, but it does leave me with a slight travel issue! I was wondering if I could pick your brains about your recent experiences of train travel into London for your previous Wembley visits, specifically:

a) Am I being naive in thinking I'll simply be able to walk down to Maidenhead train station at say, 10am, and actually be able to fit on a London bound train without it being absolutely rammed?; and

b) What kind of reaction might I reasonably expect from those on-board if I rock up in my Town shirt? I'd love to think that there might be a handshake or two and a bit of pre-match banter, but not sure I could hand-on-heart say that that would be the experience of a Reading fan if they were travelling to the game from Huddersfield.

Thanks in advance for your help, and see you all at Wembley.

You'll be grand. Your other option would be to go from Wycombe, direct to Wembley.

I'm a Huddersfield fan who has recently moved to Maidenhead from that there London. Thrilled for both our teams to have made it to Wembley, but it does leave me with a slight travel issue! I was wondering if I could pick your brains about your recent experiences of train travel into London for your previous Wembley visits, specifically:

a) Am I being naive in thinking I'll simply be able to walk down to Maidenhead train station at say, 10am, and actually be able to fit on a London bound train without it being absolutely rammed?; and

b) What kind of reaction might I reasonably expect from those on-board if I rock up in my Town shirt? I'd love to think that there might be a handshake or two and a bit of pre-match banter, but not sure I could hand-on-heart say that that would be the experience of a Reading fan if they were travelling to the game from Huddersfield.

Thanks in advance for your help, and see you all at Wembley.

When we went a couple years back from Reading they made us queue up in a special "football" queue for trains. We simply said we were going to London for work and they pointed us to an empty platform, it was the slow train that stopped at Maidenhead BUT didn't have any fans (from Reading) on it - they were putting all those on the direct fast train.

Thanks all for the replies. Will travel without fear of a) having to stand up on the train and b) getting my ears boxed.

I'll keep my eyes open for any Scorpions - think I saw a few drinking outside Wetherspoons in the town centre once, and maybe a couple more ordering jacket potatoes in the restaurant at Wyevale Garden Centre up at Hare Hatch last week.

Had a soft spot for Reading since we beat you 2-0 (I think) in 1998 during your last season at Elm Park when Pardew was in charge, maybe as caretaker initially. That result helped us achieve the great escape but assume also played a big part in sending you down. You also hammered us 3-0 on opening day a number of years previous to that, and I could be wrong but think you went up as champions in the end.

Can't really say best of luck, but in a battle of two very evenly matched teams, I'm sure the best side on the day will take home the spoils.

I'm a Huddersfield fan who has recently moved to Maidenhead from that there London. Thrilled for both our teams to have made it to Wembley, but it does leave me with a slight travel issue! I was wondering if I could pick your brains about your recent experiences of train travel into London for your previous Wembley visits, specifically:

a) Am I being naive in thinking I'll simply be able to walk down to Maidenhead train station at say, 10am, and actually be able to fit on a London bound train without it being absolutely rammed?; and

b) What kind of reaction might I reasonably expect from those on-board if I rock up in my Town shirt? I'd love to think that there might be a handshake or two and a bit of pre-match banter, but not sure I could hand-on-heart say that that would be the experience of a Reading fan if they were travelling to the game from Huddersfield.

Thanks in advance for your help, and see you all at Wembley.

I'm not really sure. Avoid the hooligan "top boy" Ian Royal and the KS3 and you should be fine.

If I see you on the train me and the rest of the "Carey Baptist posse" as we like to call ourselves! Will come over and say hello. We might have a flask of tea on the go so I'll pack a spare cup. (Roger will be on the Bells but then he does have his "issues")

BerksTerrier wrote:but not sure I could hand-on-heart say that that would be the experience of a Reading fan if they were travelling to the game from Huddersfield.

Thankfully I've been deep undercover up here for long enough to probably pass for a local so long as I don't open my mouth but this isn't exactly making me look forward to my train journey down from Leeds.

BerksTerrier wrote:b) What kind of reaction might I reasonably expect from those on-board if I rock up in my Town shirt? I'd love to think that there might be a handshake or two and a bit of pre-match banter, but not sure I could hand-on-heart say that that would be the experience of a Reading fan if they were travelling to the game from Huddersfield..

I remember being on the train from Huddersfield after beating your lot 2-0 in 1987/88, when you were having a truly woeful season (and we weren't much better).

About as angry as any Huddersfield fan got was one lad who announced "we're going to rip up t'pitch and plant tatties next season"

BerksTerrier wrote:b) What kind of reaction might I reasonably expect from those on-board if I rock up in my Town shirt? I'd love to think that there might be a handshake or two and a bit of pre-match banter, but not sure I could hand-on-heart say that that would be the experience of a Reading fan if they were travelling to the game from Huddersfield..

About as angry as any Huddersfield fan got was one lad who announced "we're going to rip up t'pitch and plant tatties next season"

About as northern a comment as is possible to make. Not sure what the equivalent may be here - Olive trees maybe.

Unlikely you'll even see more than a couple of Reading fans on that train, and if they are from Maidenhead they would be even less threatening than those coming from Reading

BerksTerrier wrote:Had a soft spot for Reading since we beat you 2-0 (I think) in 1998 during your last season at Elm Park when Pardew was in charge, maybe as caretaker initially.

He was manager for 7 days 18 March 1998 to 25 March 1998 before being replaced with Tommy Burns, he then replaced Burns 16 September 1999 to 9 September 2003..... in hindsight, we should have appointed him instead of Burns.

6ft Kerplunk wrote:Thankfully I've been deep undercover up here for long enough to probably pass for a local so long as I don't open my mouth but this isn't exactly making me look forward to my train journey down from Leeds.

You'll be absolutely fine mate. My initial comment was probably unfair, as the vast, vast majority of Town fans are really decent folk, especially when compared to the numbers of neanderthals that seem to follow Leeds and Wednesday for instance. There seems to be a lot of mutual respect between fans of our two clubs and am sure you'll find your fare share of banter on the train.

Ive sat in the home end at the John Smith's in a Reading top for a Huddersfield - Reading game and not had any trouble (Town used to flog tickets for their less attractive home games for a fiver on Groupon). A bit of banter, which was to a be expected but they're generally a decent bunch as long as you're not Leeds. It goes with the territory. Huddersfield is the most civilised town in West Yorkshire.

2 decent, unpretentious clubs with progressive managers IMO who've defied the odds and quietly got on with the job of getting to the final.